Netherlands Prepares To Welcome First King Since 1890

Tourists in Amsterdam wear orange Monday, one day before the investiture of the new Dutch king. Queen Beatrix, who ruled the Netherlands for 33 years, announced her abdication from the throne earlier this year.

Marcel AntonisseAFP/Getty Images

Originally published on April 30, 2013 7:19 am

Excitement is building in the Netherlands a day before Crown Prince Willem-Alexander will be named king. Queen Beatrix will abdicate the throne Tuesday, and when the prince is sworn in, he'll become the first Dutch king in 122 years.

The transition will take place April 30, a national holiday known as Queen's Day — a busy holiday in any year in the Netherlands and especially popular in 2013. It will be renamed King's Day during the reign of Willem-Alexander, and moved to April 27, the new king's birthday.

In Amsterdam, the looming arrival of a new monarch is being greeted with a flood of orange, the color of the Dutch royal family, known as the house of Orange-Nassau.

"Bystanders and paparazzi were already lining up to catch a glimpse of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his family on Amsterdam's main square as they arrived to practice for the ceremonies that are expected to draw more than a million people," Teri Schultz tells our Newscast Desk. "Dutch officials say that requires what they're calling an 'unprecedented logistical and security operation' with many thousands of extra police. Amsterdam's airspace is closed for three days."

The handover of royal power has not always gone smoothly in the Netherlands. As Dutch News reports, "Queen Beatrix' investiture in 1980 was marked by widespread riots."

In abdicating, the 75-year-old queen is following a family tradition — her mother and grandmother also abdicated the throne. Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, 45, and his wife, Princess Máxima, have three daughters. The popular incoming queen is a former investment banker originally from Argentina.

Royal delegations from 18 nations, from Thailand and Japan to Monaco and Norway, will be in attendance for the investiture Tuesday.